SUNDAY, AUGUST 19, 1979
2 2.
THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOUR OCCURRED BETWEEN 2 A.M. AND 4 A.M. WHEN THE ROYAL OBSERVATORY RECORDED 77.1 MM OF RAINFALL.
THE MONTH'S MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 24.4 DEGREES WAS RECORDED ON THE SAME DAY.
RAIN CEASED FOR A WHILE DURING THE EVENING AND THE NIGHT BUT HEAVY SHOWERS SET IN AGAIN THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
THE TOTAL RAINFALL BROUGHT BY GORDON AMOUNTED TO 260.2 MM WHICH WAS ABOUT 77 PER CENT OF THE MONTH'S TOTAL.
DURING THE MONTH THREE AIRCRAFT WERE DIVERTED FROM HONG KONG
DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER.
NO FIRE DANGER WARNINGS WERE ISSUED WHILE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE ISSUED ON JULY 1 AND 31,
FIVE MARINE DEPARTMENT FROGMEN HELP KEEP 200 LAUNCHES SEAWORTHY
***
MARINE DEPARTMENT FROGMEN HAVE BEEN PLAYING A VITAL BUT UNSEEN ROLE IN THE GOVERNMENT'S EFFORTS TO STEM THE FLOW OF ILLEGAL
IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES.
THE DEPARTMENT'S FIVE VOLUNTEER DIVERS WORK IN CO-ORDINATION WITH GOVERNMENT DOCKYARD STAFF TO KEEP SOME 200 GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES, MANY USED ON ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT DUTIES IN HONG KONG WATERS,
IN SHIP-SHAPE CONDITION.
IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR, THE FROGMEN UNDERTOOK 196 UNDERWATER MAINTENANCE TASKS INVOLVING 1
* CLEARANCE OF FOULED PROPELLERS AND SEA-SUCTION GRATINGS-
*
INSPECTION OF TAIL-SHAFTS, PROPELLERS AND RUDDERS AFTER MINOR ACCIDENTS AND,
* CLEARANCE OF SLIPWAYS OR RENEWAL OF PULLING WIRE ROPES
UNDER THE SLIPWAYS.
REPRESENTING AN
THERE WERE 320 DIVING ASSIGNMENTS LAST YEAR INCREASE OF SOME 25 PER CENT OVER THE 1977 FIGURE OF 239. IN 1976 THE FIGURE WAS 143.
QUOTING THE FIGURES. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID THE WORKLOAD OF THE DIVERS IS INCREASING EVERY MONTH.
HE SAID THE MAIN REASON FOR THE INCREASE COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE EXPANSION OF THE GOVERNMENT FLEET FROM 130 VESSELS IN 1969 TO THE PRESENT TOTAL OF 192.
+IN THE